HIGHLANDS RANCH — Nesting on rocks within metro Denver’s widest expanse of suburban settlement, a pair of golden eagles recently produced two eaglets.

The eaglets just fledged, and this week were venturing away from their home made of sticks — honing skills in flying and picking off rabbits, snakes and prairie dogs.

Far more sensitive to disturbances than their bald eagle cousins, federal biologists say, golden eagles are facing habitat degradation along Colorado’s booming Front Range and increasingly are being forced out. Accelerating development surrounds these eagles’ Wildcat Mountain perch on a 150-foot cliff, a tenth of a mile from a busy road and a half mile from pastel-hued housing.

But the eagles have nested successfully for years because Douglas County officials and the developers who in the 1980s built Highlands Ranch — which now has a population of 105,000 — deliberately concentrated housing on relatively small lots. (The overall Highlands Ranch population density exceeded Denver’s before 2017.)

Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post

Densely packed homes abut the backcountry wilderness area of Highlands Ranch on July 2, 2019.

This configuration allowed preservation of 8,200 acres of natural habitat dubbed “backcountry wilderness,” where the eagles hunt. It adds to the 2,850 acres of green space near homes.

“People can go out on a trail, or go mountain biking, close to their homes. It makes Highlands Ranch unique. That uniqueness is going to increase as development continues to take over the Front Range,” said Mark Giebel, backcountry director for the Highlands Ranch Community Association.

The original developers wanted balance, committed to it in a 1988 open space agreement, and then completed construction.

Highlands Ranch residents, in contrast, can connect with nature near where they live with 46 percent of their overall 37.5-square-mile area preserved as green space. That’s five times the percentage of parkland within Denver’s 155 square miles.

“I would never not have green space — because of all the people living here,” said Libby Price, 73, a retired schoolteacher who works as a voluntary guide and protector of the golden eagles.

“It gives me such peace,” Price said. “It always gives me peace if I am sad or depressed. You just feel so much better.”

Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post

A golden eagle flies above rock outcroppings in the backcountry wilderness area in Highlands Ranch on July 2, 2019. Communities along the Front Range struggle to balance natural space and development. In Highlands Ranch, 105,000 people live close together on 11,050 acres, but more than one-third of their metropolitan district is green space.

Coexistence with wildlife

The clumped-together housing with bigger green space has led to coexistence with wildlife, including elk herds. Coyotes are common close to homes. Several bears and a few mountain lions are observed each year using 20 remote-controlled cameras.

The golden eagles survive largely because “they have a 13-square-mile healthy ecosystem where they can hunt,” Giebel said.

“If you would have had houses spread out across the 24,000 acres and had 1-acre lots, you would not have this diversity of wildlife. You would not have these true conservation areas where wildlife can live unmolested by humans,” he said. “We have this huge open space. Wildlife is the priority. And there’s not the public access that leads to people loving it to death.”

A network of trails covering 26 miles — half open to the public and half for residents who pay an annual homeowners association fee — enables strolling and cycling. Dogs aren’t allowed on the resident-only trails, and on the open county trails the rules require leashes.

“Dogs have an impact on wildlife, even when on a leash,” Giebel said, citing studies from the University of Colorado and Colorado State University.

There are challenges in this emerging coexistence.

Volunteers have spotted teenagers atop the cliff where the eagles nest. Trails to that area are closed between April and September. And volunteers say they face pushback when enforcing the dog prohibition.

Douglas County sheriff’s deputies can be called for backup. For the most part, diplomatic encouragement of compliance has worked out, Highlands Ranch officials said.

Conflicts arise as coyotes find that they can thrive better by feeding on garbage near homes, drawing them into contact with domestic pets. And occasionally residents glimpse bears and mountain lions.

“We say, ‘This is the type of place animals are supposed to be,’ ” Giebel said. “When we get reports of animals, we do not say it is an emergency. We say, ‘It is very fortunate you were able to see those animals. You are visiting their home. We expect that residents from time to time will see animals.’ ”

Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post

Lindsey McKissick carries her daughter Kate, 4, as McKissick looks toward a rock bluff that is home to a pair of nesting golden eagles and their two fledglings in the backcountry wilderness area of Highlands Ranch on July 2, 2019. McKissick is the community and outreach coordinator for the backcountry wilderness area and was on hand to point out the location of the nest to The Denver Post.

Not compelled to escape

“There’s always pressure to add more recreation,” Giebel said. “Trails would be an example. We may add more trails in the future, but we’ll always want to protect the areas where there is no public access. When you add trails, it changes the behavior of animals and how they use an area.”

Highlands Ranch residents said they’re glad to live in a place they’re not compelled to escape.

“Tax me for this. I will pay,” said Jennifer Letheby, 47, walking her leashed golden retriever mix on a county trail this week near the golden eagles.

Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post

A golden eagle flies above trees in the backcountry wilderness area of Highlands Ranch on July 2, 2019.

Bruce Finley covers environment issues, the land air and water struggles shaping Colorado and the West. Finley grew up in Colorado, graduated from Stanford, then earned masters degrees in international relations as a Fulbright scholar in Britain and in journalism at Northwestern. He is also a lawyer and previously handled international news with on-site reporting in 40 countries.

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